The obligatory “Rutgers coach fired for being abusive to players” post

posted at 4:41 pm on April 3, 2013 by Allahpundit

Via Ace, how long has it been since we’ve had a hotly disputed “minor authority figure exercises power in dubiously aggressive way” thread? Seems like a few years ago there’d be a new viral video every week of some cop tasering an annoying but nonviolent person, thereby kicking off a new navel-gazing cycle of Internet debate about whether The Man had gone too far or whether the would-be perp should have known better than to give a cop some lip. This is a variation on that: What’s the split on people who think the coach went overboard versus people who think Div I college athletes need to man up and accept a little “tough love” in the interest of winning? I’ll guess 60/40. To the 40 percent: Throwing basketballs at the kids is … a little much, no? Even the pros think this is beyond the pale.

The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN, prompted scores of outraged social media comments as well as sharp criticism from Gov. Chris Christie and NBA star LeBron James.

Athletic director Tim Pernetti was given a copy of the video in late November by a former employee. He suspended Rice for three games a month later, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes.

Pernetti finally canned him this morning. I wonder with guys like this how much of the aggression is genuine — it sure looks it in the vid — and how much of it is a primitive attempt to gain Bob Knight/Rick Majerus-type respect from players by aping their most boorish tendencies. He must know what he’s doing, right? He’s a total control-freak A-hole! But check the results at Rutgers. If he’d won 20 games, maybe the suspension would have been enough.

And the greatest basketball coach of all time, Coach John Wooden, never said a swear word, and never raised his voice at his players…and these idiots don’t get it. And the people who hire and keep these fools on should go with him.

ESPN is, of course, falling all over themselves pointing out the use of the word faggot by this coach. I tend to agree that this is the only reason the video came to light. ESPN is just pathetic; too bad they’re the Big Brother of collegiate sports.

And the greatest basketball coach of all time, Coach John Wooden, never said a swear word, and never raised his voice at his players…and these idiots don’t get it. And the people who hire and keep these fools on should go with him.

right2bright on April 3, 2013 at 4:48 PM

+10,000. I totally agree.

Coach Wooden never hit his players, never was abusive towards his players, and never treated his players unfairly. Coach Wooden also set a positive tone for racial reconciliation, back at a time when many African-American athletes were not being treated fairly by their white coaches.

I saw this guy at games and he was absolutely insane. I mentioned ti hub and brother that I would hate to be at a practice with him. They agreed it woukd be brutal. He is a bully and knows the players couldn’t do anything if they want to keep their scholarships. I don’t care what he called them, that’s words. Someone in authority doesn’t put their hands on a player.

That being said, the ball throwing at the head is too much. A b-ball is pretty hard, it could hurt if it hits the right spot. Looks to me the other times he throws the balls, he’s throwing them at the legs, lower body, not trying to hurt anyone but to get attention.

He’s been doing it for years – NOW he gets fired?

Yeah, i agree with other commenters. The only reason he lost his job was for the gay slur.

And how, exactly is calling someone a fa**** a slur?

If the person is gay, they’re simply being called what they are, yea? If not, then how can the person be offended? Wouldn’t that be betraying they’re own hidden bigotry?

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

“It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”
― John Wooden

“Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.”
― John Wooden

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
― John Wooden

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
― John Wooden

“Five years from now, you’re the same person except for the people you’ve met and the books you’ve read.”
― John Wooden

“‎”Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
― John Wooden

As far as how coaches from the past treated their players, the players in the past also regarded their coaches with respect and honor due to their position.

A player in the 50s or 60 would NEVER think to treat others or act in the way many do today. Aside from actual, physical contact, raving is sometimes the only way to get or keep a persons attention nowadays.

And if players DID mouth off, there were consequences. Bad behavior would get you kicked off the team. Bad grades could too. Students who had athletic scholarships had to work to keep them and policed themselves for the most part to keep their own noses clean. People had more self respect back then as well. Not so much anymore, depending on how things are where you live.

And the greatest basketball coach of all time, Coach John Wooden, never said a swear word, and never raised his voice at his players…and these idiots don’t get it. And the people who hire and keep these fools on should go with him.

right2bright on April 3, 2013 at 4:48 PM

Wooden was certainly a great coach, but I don’t think Rice has players the quality of Walton, Goodrich and Alcindor.

Wooden was certainly a great coach, but I don’t think Rice has players the quality of Walton, Goodrich and Alcindor.

Good Solid B-Plus on April 3, 2013 at 5:18 PM

maybe not…..but I guarantee you that Coach Wooden could take an average player (like one on Coach Rice’s team) and turn him INTO a Walton, a Goodrich, or a future Alcindor by Modeling Leadership through example…..something Coach Rice cannot do.

I was watching the Gator Bowl in 1978 when Woody Hayes, the head coach for Ohio State, took a slug at the Clemson player who had just intercepted a Buckeye pass and ran out of bounds at the Ohio State bench.

Hayes was dismissed from his job, but he was not arrested for assault.

To me, attacking a kid from the opposing team who just made a great play remains the worst moment in college sports coaching history.

maybe not…..but I guarantee you that Coach Wooden could take an average player (like one on Coach Rice’s team) and turn him INTO a Walton, a Goodrich, or a future Alcindor by Modeling Leadership through example…..something Coach Rice cannot do.

ColtsFan on April 3, 2013 at 5:20 PM

Walton could probably turn an average player into a very good to great NCAA player, but no coach on the planet can turn an average player into a Walton or Alcindor. You need to be born with their special kind of talent.

Of course, talent comes with flaws. Walton, for all his prodigious on-court talent, could be flaky, mercurial and supercilious, and he ended up being too brittle in the NBA.

I had a coach like this in High School ball, and he would play with us in off-season. I got clawed by him one play, so I threw him to the ground.

I cannot believe none of these players didn’t lay this guy out, or at least get in his face. Bunch of sissies.

Coaches who do this are always the frustrated ones who were never as good as they thought they were as players.

One of these guys could have popped him, or at minimum, told him to stfu, and his retaliation would be to scream more and make you do more drills. But he wouldn’t suspend you, because that invites outside arbitrators. Hell, he would probably respect that player for showing some backbone.

I tend to agree, I think everything was “fine” until he used a gay reference.

right2bright on April 3, 2013 at 4:51 PM

It certainly was. Do you think Bobby knight wasn’t physical with his players? The speech police in action again.

Don’t forget that Rutgers was also the university where Tyler Clemently committed suicide because his roommate recorded him having relations with another man. It was the roommate who end up paying for Clemently violating their common space (and apparently university rules). But because an individual’s sexuality was involved it became a widely reported issue.

Maybe there were a myriad of reasons to fire this coach, but it was the use of a gay slur that made it happen.

Everyone concerned about how Sandy Hook triggered an attack on the 2nd Amendment? Get ready folks: this is gonna trigger an attack on the 1st Amendment disguised as some “anti- bullying” crap. And in a country where now everyone feel offended by what someone else says, you can guess the outcome of any such actions.

Hmmm… I’m conflicted. I had worse coaches growing up and I was a girl. Heck, I saw a coach pull a gun on the refs in an 8th grade girls’ basketball game. Yeah, this guy’s a jerk but isn’t that in the job description? I guess we’re not back in “the good ole days” anymore.

For all the people defending this guy I wonder what would ANY of his supporters do if a Boss or Coworker put their hands on you or someone close to you.

Sorry folks being a Basketball coach doesn’t give you the rights you would never give another private citizen over you.

The days when coaches got some kind of pass on physical assault are over and I don’t see any reason to pine for them. I say that as someone who played Hockey at the highest levels and saw some crazy coaches. The world won’t miss physically attacking players as a way of motivating them. Division I Basketball players are basically college employees and should get some of the same respect.

Division I Basketball players are basically college employees and should get some of the same respect.

This typifies some of the sillier comments from above…first of all most of these Division I players, particularly but not exclusively, outside of the top tier teams, have inflated ego’s based on the fact they are fawned over by colleges. Most of them are minority kids who have grown up without a male parent or parent other than a grandparent. Some come out well adjusted but most do not and then an adult coach, white or black, has got to instill some sense of discipline and teamwork in them.

Physical abuse…of course not, but verbal chastisment and embarassment is part of the process…building a sports team is no different than building a a sense of teamwork in the military. Boot camp is practice.

I speak as someone who played various team sports and caught my share of “abuse”…did I like it, no, but it toughened me up. My son is a Division I athlete and has had his share of issues with his coach but knows its part of the process.

It’s interesting I have now heard two interviews with former players of Rice and both rated him as an excellent coach and motivator and both believe the video was taken out of context…he threw balls at them, they threw them back at him…but you don’t see that part. As far as the language goes, the faggot thing was the kiss of death.

Amazing they didn’t fire him initially after seeing the round of clips. This wasn’t just one moment of weakness — the dude clearly has a serious problem.

He has no business being in a position of authority over students until he grasps on both a conscious and a reflexive level that this authority doesn’t give him license to be physically and verbally abusive whenever he’s displeased with something.

Watching the tapes I’m amazed at the restraint of his players; it’s a wonder one of them didn’t just lay him out at various points. It goes to show how deeply engrained is the attitude of acceptance of authority. That’s good in sports to an extent, but clearly here it had gone to the point of accepting the unacceptable.

But somehow I doubt this numbnuts pulls these shenanigans with people who he knows wouldn’t put up with it. Coward.

Wow! I can’t believe some of you who attempt to justify this behavior on “wussification” and “gay agenda” grounds.

On the first issue, I’ve heard from several former college players, who I wouldn’t exactly call “wussies”, who condemn the actions of this guy. Hell, even the coach said his actions where inexcusable.

Those of you who need to be hit upside the head with basketballs by someone who isn’t even your parent to “toughen up” have problems. At 18-20, I wouldn’t even take that type of abuse from my parents. This ain’t Navy Seal training. It’s college basketball.

To those of you saying he got fired for using “gay slurs”. I guess you’ve never heard of Bobby Knight? Not much difference between that story and this one except Knight was given another pass on account of the legend he built before his abusive behavior got the best of him.

Public university can’t afford the negative publicity of abusive coaches once the media grabs a hold of it. His firing was a foregone conclusion at that point.